Ready
by Shaz1
Summary: At the beginning of Identity Sam has his doubts as to his partner being ready to return to work- a oneshot with missing scenes of the ep.


Ready

By Shaz1

None of the recognised characters or dialogue belong to me I have borrowed them for a few minutes and will return them in much the condition they came to me in!

Set during Identity- my take on a couple of missing scenes and thoughts!

Please review!

Ready

Anybody else may have missed the slight hesitation and flicker in the bright blue eyes- but Sam had known his partner for a very long time and learnt to read the subtle signals that the emotionally closed off agent allowed to momentarily creep through. At that moment his mind flashed back to May 5th- his partner cradled in his arms as he bled all over the pavement beneath him.

"You could use one" Sam simply replied, wanting to avoid pushing his partner away already. G shook his head and the two partners made their way to the car, slipping straight back into their usual pattern.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

Halfway through the first day back and Callen was beginning to doubt his decision to return early. He felt exhausted and his chest was aching- unused to the exertion after his months off work. His scars burnt from being pulled from now unfamiliar movement. If Sam had looked at him one more time with those familiar brown eyes so full of concern for him- he would have screamed. He had spent his whole life taking care of himself- he had no other option. He survived and he kept going, that was part of who he was, but Sam had a way of looking straight through him and knowing when he was hiding things.

"Sam, stop staring at me" he muttered as they drove towards the target- hopefully to rescue the young child. Sam looked away, setting his eyes on the road in front of him. He hadn't meant to stare- he just couldn't help but check on his partner. He was on his first day back from coming as close to dying as anyone could get without meeting their maker and Sam felt that he was justified in feeling concern for the closest person he had ever had to a brother.

"Not staring, don't flatter yourself" he muttered in reply glad to see the small grin cross his partner's face. He had missed G- missed the banter, the humour, missed the instant understanding of his partner. He had thought for weeks that he would never get to see Callen's sparkling blue eyes again as he laid struggling to live- and he thanked every god that he could think of that he was now driving with his partner beside him, even though he was sure they were heading into danger, he had never been happier to have someone next to him. Wordlessly he stopped the car at the gate. He turned to his partner slowly. "You feeling lucky?" he asked quietly. Callen half chuckled in response, although it was humourless.

"After the last time not especially" he commented, a rare flash of vulnerable honesty showing itself in his voice and the words he spoke. Without further words Sam revved the engine and the car surged forward- they had work to do. The sound of the gun shot cut through Callen's brain like a knife through butter. He flinched at the first sound of gunfire- his heart pounding in his chest he swallowed back on the bile that rose involuntarily. He took a breath to steady himself and allowed instinct to take over- returning fire and ducking for cover when the flashes were returned.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

"You good G?" Sam questioned softly away from anyone else's ears. He had not missed the momentary panic that had flashed across his partner's face at the first sound of gun fire. He also hadn't missed the panting breath that the younger man was releasing when he checked on Bobby.

"I'm ok Sam" Callen replied, and he was speaking honestly, he was ok. Admittedly his heart was still beating way faster than he was comfortable with and his stomach still churned with unease- but he had got through it and he hadn't let his partner down so he was ok. Sam squeezed the smaller man's shoulder in what he hoped would be taken as support- before making his way back to what was left of his car.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

A gun was square in his face, and somehow his lips kept moving- he was bluffing and chatting hoping that his brain would come up with something that would get him out of this. He could not have gone through all of that pain, that determination to get back to work- only to be shot in the face on his first day back at work. Maybe they were all right- maybe he wasn't ready for this. The thoughts rushed through his mind even as the words kept escaping his mouth and then his cell chirped in his hand, almost without thinking he answered it- disregarding the gun currently held in his face. Someone the words rolled off his tongue without thinking, and the next thing he knew he was grappling with the kidnapper stroke father and despite a painful hit to the face, that he knew would leave a mark, somehow he came out on top and then he looked up and saw a man holding a gun towards his partner and he fired without even thinking. He wasn't sure what scared him more the hesitating or the killer instinct that took over. All he knew was that he and his partner were alive to fight another day and a mother would now be seeing her daughter again, and nothing much else mattered.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

"Like you're been away huh G?" Sam commented as the two drove back to headquarters.

"Something like that" Callen commented softly, wondering if his partner had noticed the sheen of sweat on him that had nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with cold unadulterated fear.

"You did good man, can't have been easy" Sam commented, knowing that to say anymore would be going way beyond the boundaries of his partner's comfort zone.

"Thanks" Callen whispered, relieved that he hadn't let his partner down by becoming a liability.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

Callen sat and stared at the accounts in front of him, his cheek burning with a newly formed bruise- exhaustion pulling him. He saw the others leave and brushed off offers of sofas with a smile that didn't reach his blue eyes. He was tired and beyond sore, but he was alive and that was more than he imagined that day months ago when lead bullets had ripped through him- forcing him to lie bleeding and broken in his partner's arms. With a sigh he moved to the sofa, struggling off the dress shirt from Hetty's wardrobe and pulling on his comfortable long sleeved shirt. Sitting down, he rubbed his hands tiredly over his face and reflected on the events of the day- glad that the good guys had won and a mother was reunited with her daughter. He was sure that the little girl had no idea of how she had been used in a game of terrorism, and hopefully never would- but she was safe and sound, and for tonight so was he. Without another thought he swung his legs up and allowed his thoughts to drift off- hoping that the flashes of the barrel would not chase him tonight and all of his other nightmares would leave him be. That was how Hetty found him less than thirty minutes later, sound asleep and thankfully getting the rest that his damaged body required. Tenderly she draped the comforter around her favourite agent, hoping that the rest would help to chase his demons away.

The End

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